Megan Murphy: Crockpot not just for winter meals, no-fuss way of cooking any season

We tend to think of Crock-Pot cooking as something reserved for cold, blustery days. But Crock-Pot cooking doesn't have to be reserved just for winter. Crazy summer days make it hard to find a lot of time for cooking, and using the oven or too many stove burners heats up the house. So why not pull out your Crock-Pot and create an easy, delicious meal that works well for summer picnics or a quick dinner on a busy school night?

Crock-Pot cooking, also known as slow cooking, burst onto the scene in the 1970s. After awhile, its popularity fell off a bit, but in the past few years it has really made a resurgence. Enterprising cooks are using more-sophisticated spice mixtures and techniques, so foods that are slow-cooked come out tender and tasty.

Slow cooking also is a greener way to cook. The cooking times are longer than in a regular oven, but because the temperature is lower and the appliance is smaller, less total energy is used to cook comparable menu items. Plus, there is just one dish to wash, so less hot water is used for cleanup.

Today's recipe has a summer flair, since it incorporates barbecue flavors. You can serve this on a bun or alone as a main dish. You could even top pasta with it for in a sort of barbecue spaghetti.

You'll notice that this recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Though not quite as lean as chicken breast, the dark meat holds up better to the long cooking times required for slow cooking. Even though meats are generally cooked with liquids in a slow cooker, sometimes the long cooking times mean too much water is released from the meat, and you can end up with a liquid mixture, but the shreds of meat within the mixture are drier and chewier than desired. Chicken thighs have a bit more fat, which helps keep the meat more tender.

Feel free to spice this up a bit more by adding more ground chipotle chile powder, or have sliced jalapeños on hand for serving. If you are an onion lover, sliced red onions make a nice garnish as well. However you embellish it, there's a good bet you and your family will enjoy this easy main dish, any season of the year.